Justin Gaethje has claimed he was "f***ed" before fighting now-retired UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov because of the food and water in Abu Dhabi.
Gaethje will have his second shot at UFC gold on Saturday when he challenges current champion Charles Oliveira in the headlining act of UFC 274. The former interim titleholder came up short for the title when was choked out by Nurmagomedov in the first round two years ago.
It was Gaethje's first time fighting in Abu Dhabi whilst Nurmagmedov had competed there the previous year. 'The Highlight' admitted that being a creature of habit, his day-to-day routine was severely messed up in Abu Dhabi and this influences his performance.
"The crazy thing is that there are so many factors in that experience that are not here. I mean, if you're a creature of habit you are so f***ed going to Abu Dhabi. The water wasn't the same, the food wasn't the same, the time wasn't the same," Gaethje told Yahoo Sports.
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"So you could throw all those excuses in the way, but now in this fight I will be a creature of habit and I will get to go to the process that I'm comfortable with that brings me confidence going into this fight."
"That's the biggest factor from this fight to that fight. Also, your 'why' is everything. Khabib's 'why' that night was the passing of his father and him having the knowledge it was his last fight. Larger than life was his 'why'."
Gaethje will have the crowd on his side this Saturday as he competes in his home state of Arizona for the first time in four years. With more family and friends in attendance than usual, Gaethje said the increased pressure won't get to him.
"When I fought [Dustin] Poirier, I embraced that it was at home but it doesn't matter. I've been isolated for three months now, I go to work come home, eat sleep and rest my mind," he continued.
"In hindsight, it will be the best experience in the world. But right now going there it doesn't matter what zip code it is. As long as it's in the same time zone, preferably, and it is. That's all that matters."
Knockout artist Gaethje is the betting underdog as he aims to end the 10-fight unbeaten run of Oliveira that dates back to 2017. 'Do Bronx' is known for his grappling skills and has submitted six of his last 10 opponents, but insists he is a better striker than Gaethje.
